Preparedness
Paradise Nightmare: US Tourist Faces 12 Years for Forgotten Ammo
For Ryan Watson, an American tourist, a dream Caribbean vacation quickly turned into a distressing ordeal filled with ‘terrifying interrogations’ and substantial living expenses, when four rounds of hunting ammunition were found hidden in his luggage. Watson and his wife had travelled to the island of Turks and Caicos for a leisure trip, one that saw them landing a potential 12-year prison term.
The couple, hailing from Oklahoma, made the journey in early April to join friends in celebrating their 40th birthdays. On the 12th of April, security personnel at Howard Hamilton International Airport discovered the ammunition, which had been inadvertently left in a duffel bag post a deer hunting trip, as detailed on a GoFundMe page set up on the family’s behalf.
Surprisingly, the ammunition made its way through security checks at their home airport, Will Rogers World Airport. The Transportation Security Administration is currently investigating this lapse in security.
“TSA is conducting a review at OKC, which was the originating airport,” the Transportation Security Administration said in a statement.
In Turks and Caicos, both Ryan and Valerie Watson faced charges for possession of ammunition, an offence that carries a minimum sentence of 12 years behind bars.
Watson reported to the Daily Mail that their arrest was followed by a “terrifying interrogation”. He added, “It was all pretty intimidating.”
Valerie commented on WBTS-TV, “When I heard that, I immediately was terrified because I was like, we can’t both be in prison for 12 years. We have kids at home. And this is such an innocent mistake that we didn’t even know we weren’t – we didn’t even know it was there. So yeah, my immediate thought was our kids and them being, you know, parentless for, for that long.”
Valerie, an elementary school teacher, was eventually cleared of the charges and returned home to be with their children.
In an attempt to secure Ryan’s release, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt reached out to the Turks and Caicos Islands government.
“The Watsons are upstanding members of their community and the State of Oklahoma, and I can assure you countless others stand willing to confirm their high moral characters,” Stitt wrote.
“First and foremost, the Watsons are devoted parents,” Stitt said. “Their two young children, Van and Ellie, need their parents home without delay. Mr. and Mrs. Watson would never intentionally break the law. Again, they are unwavering in moral character, reliable neighbors, and devoted community members.”
Ryan Watson, after nearly two weeks in custody, was able to secure his release by paying a $15,000 bond. There were conditions attached, including forfeiting his passport and staying within the country’s boundaries, while also regularly reporting to local authorities.
The involuntary extended stay in Turks and Caicos has resulted in significant expenses for Watson. He has reportedly been residing in a $500-a-night Airbnb, financially supported by his in-laws.
A GoFundMe set up for the Watson family has garnered close to $210,000 in donations to cover legal and living expenses.
The next court appearance for Watson is slated for June 7th.
Watch a local news report about the incident below:
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The attorney for the 17-year-old accused of attempting to murder Ricky Pearsall, a first-round draft pick for the 49ers, is challenging the charges. According to the defense, the incident, which occurred during an attempted robbery earlier this month, does not constitute attempted murder.
“It was a rather extended struggle between Mr. Pearsall and my client,” stated public defender Robert Dunlap in an interview with David Lombardi of TheAthletic.com.
“They were really fighting back and forth on the sidewalk. As you might imagine, Mr. Pearsall gets the best of it. He does kind of — I don’t know if you’ve ever wrestled or not — a nice hip toss and throws my client to the ground and ends up on top of him. . . . I think [the video] supports that this is an attempted robbery and not an attempted murder.”
Dunlap also addressed and refuted a report alleging that his client had brought a gun to school.
“My client did not have a gun at school,” Dunlap said. “It’s a false report.”
Despite these arguments, prosecutors have chosen to charge Dunlap’s client with attempted murder. However, they have not yet determined if the young defendant will be tried as an adult.
The next court hearing for this case is scheduled for September 26.
Watch a local news report about the incident below:
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A son, armed and vigilant, responded to a potential burglary at his mother’s unoccupied home in West Virginia during the early hours of the morning. The encounter ended fatally for the alleged intruder.
Authorities reported that the son, checking on the residence around 3:45 a.m., encountered an individual who turned toward him holding an object.
“Unwise move on the part of the intruder.”
The Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office received a call from a male stating he had just shot an intruder at his mother’s Inwood home on Winchester Avenue.
Upon arrival, deputies discovered a male lying face down with a gunshot wound. Immediate life-saving measures were administered until emergency medical services arrived, but the individual was pronounced dead shortly after.
The deceased was identified as 38-year-old Joshua Boone from Williamsport, Maryland. The sheriff’s office confirmed that Boone’s next of kin had been notified.
The investigation revealed that the son, identified by WDVM-TV as Michael Marshal, had gone to the home after hearing about a possible break-in. Marshal told deputies that Boone turned toward him “with something in his hand,” prompting Marshal to fire his handgun.
Boone was located in the garage of the residence, where the fatal shot occurred.
The Department of Criminal Investigators processed the scene for evidence and is conducting a thorough investigation into the shooting. Once the investigation is complete, the case will be presented to the Berkeley County Prosecutors Office.
Authorities are urging anyone with information regarding this case to contact the Criminal Investigations Division at 304-267-7000.
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A tragic incident in Michigan has resulted in a teenage boy facing severe charges after allegedly shooting another teen and fatally wounding the teen’s mother, who was trying to protect her son.
Anthony Deshawn Sneed, 15, is being charged as an adult with multiple serious offenses stemming from the incident that occurred on September 4th in Clinton Township.
The charges against Sneed include felony murder as a juvenile defendant, second-degree murder, assault with intent to murder, armed robbery, and four counts of felony firearm possession.
According to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office, the conflict began when Sneed got into a fight with the son of Tanseen Sherrod.
During the altercation, Sneed allegedly stole a handgun from the other teen.
When Sherrod attempted to intervene in hopes of calming the situation, she was tragically shot by Sneed, authorities reported.
Details surrounding the exact nature of the fatal confrontation have not been made public.
The other teen involved in the incident was also shot and sustained critical injuries, though his current condition has not been disclosed.
Following the shooting, Sneed fled the scene but turned himself in to Detroit authorities the following day.
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